FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT LABOR DAY - PAGE 4

NEW YORK - More people will travel in the United States this Labor Day holiday than they have on any of the September breaks since the 2008 financial crisis, U.S. travel group AAA said on Tuesday. Falling unemployment, better consumer finances, rising house prices and faster economic growth in the United States have all contributed to the forecast, issued every year by the AAA and prepared with research group IHS Global Insight. AAA and IHS expect 34.1 million people in the country to take a trip of 50 miles or more, a 4.2 percent increase on the 32.7 million that traveled during the holiday a year ago. Labor Day lands on Monday, Sept 2. It is considered to be the traditional end of the summer driving season which starts on Memorial Day on Monday, May 27. The price of gasoline tends to rise during the season as people go on vacation and drive more.

The autumn back-to-school slump hit Broadway hard last week, with overall box office totals falling like leaves -- and superhero tuner " Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark " emerging as the production with perhaps the most cause for concern. The musical, which habitually lands in the millionaires' club but carries notoriously high weekly running costs, dipped below the $1 million mark a couple of weeks ago, unusually early pre-Labor Day timing for a show popular with tourist auds.

By Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept 1 (Reuters) - U.S. motorists hit the road in large numbers this Labor Day weekend, undeterred by gas prices that are the highest ever heading into the holiday in part due to Hurricane Isaac, which forced the closure of oil refineries on the Gulf Coast. The average price of regular gas nationally was $3.83 per gallon on Friday, 21 cents higher than a year ago, according to AAA. And the price on Monday will likely easily beat the Labor Day record of $3.68 set in 2008, the non-profit automobile association said.

By Dan Hinkel and Jeff Danna and Tribune reporters | September 12, 2012

Prosecutors say a Highland Park teen inhaled computer dust cleaner immediately before she allegedly drove onto a sidewalk and plowed into a family on Labor Day, killing a 5-year-old girl. Carly Rousso, 18, has been charged with one count of reckless homicide and four counts of aggravated driving under the influence of an intoxicating compound in connection with the crash, the Lake County State's Attorney's office announced today. She faces a maximum of 26 years in prison if convicted of all the charges, said Assistant State's Attorney Ken LaRue.

Yellow flags flapping in the wind to signal a swim advisory on many North Side beaches Monday didn't deter beachcombers from wading into the waves for a Labor Day dunk. But swimmers could only venture a short distance from the shore before lifeguards stopped them. "It was kind of like Poseidon's Rage," said Alvin Diaz, 35 of Romeoville, comparing the currents at Foster Beach to a simulated surf pool with towering breakers at a Wisconsin Dells water park. "You could really feel the impact of the waves.

By Cameron French TORONTO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Director Jason Reitman, known for snappily written modern-day comedies like "Up in the Air" and "Juno," tackles unfamiliar territory with his new feature "Labor Day," a fugitive love story set in 1980s small-town America. Adapted by Reitman from the 2009 novel by Joyce Maynard, the film centers on an agoraphobic single mother, played by Kate Winslet, and her 13-year-old son. Their lives are reshaped over a 1987 holiday weekend when an escaped convict, portrayed by Josh Brolin, forces them to shelter him from authorities.

Monday, Sept. 1, is Labor Day, a federal holiday. The following services will be affected: Public and private schools in Chicago and the suburbs will be closed. All city, county, state and federal offices will be closed. There will be no mail delivery or pickup. Federal, state and county courts will be closed, with the exception of the; Central Bond Court, which will hold its regular 1 p.m. call. Banks: will be closed.

Police donned riot gear and used smoke and tear gas to break up a hostile crowd throwing bottles and cans during a huge Labor Day beach brawl in San Diego. Sixteen people were arrested and face charges of fighting and being drunk in public. Police were called Monday when the fighting broke out in the crowd estimated at about 500 people.

Monday, Sept. 5, is Labor Day. The following public services will be affected: Government offices: All city, county, state and federal offices will be closed. Postal service: No regular mail delivery Courts: Federal and state courts will be closed, except for Cook County Bond Court. Banks: Will be closed. Financial markets: Will be closed. Parking: Meters do not have to be fed. Transit: CTA, Pace and Metra will run on holiday schedules. In addition, construction work will be suspended on all Chicago-area expressways and Illinois tollways.